tommy rettig
Tousle-haired Tommy Rettig was 5 years old when he was cast opposite Mary Martin in the touring version of Annie Get Your Gun. [1]
Tommy Rettig in a publicity photo. [2]
WHEN INVESTOR JEFF MILLER moved to Marina del Rey eight years ago, he introduced himself to Tommy Rettig, who lived next door in a one-bedroom waterfront condo. [3]
Tommy was a successful child actor in 1954 when he was chosen out of a field of 500 to play Jeff Miller in the TV series “Lassie” (1954). [4]
When Brandon de Wilde proved unavailable for the role of Jeff Martin on the upcoming TV series Lassie in 1954, Rettig was among the hundreds of juvenile actors who auditioned for the part. [1]
Rettig is best remembered for having portrayed the character “Jeff Miller” in the first three seasons of CBS ’s Lassie television series, from 1954-1957, later seen in syndicated re-runs as Jeff’s Collie. [2]
“He was fascinated but not mystified” by computers, says software designer Tom Rombouts, who worked for him. [...] Tom wrote articles for DATA BASED ADVISOR, appeared on FOXPRO ADVISOR satellite TV conferences, and spoke at many developer events including the FoxPro DevCons. [3]
Later Tommy had a troubled life; he could not land adult roles, and had major setbacks, including drug arrest and conviction, bankruptcy and divorce. [4]
He also co-starred with another former child actor, Tony Dow, in the mid-1960s television teen soap opera Never Too Young and recorded the song by that title with the group “The TR-4″. [...] The youngster’s most celebrated screen role was the mischievous piano-playing protagonist in the Dr. Seuss-inspired fantasy The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953). [...] Tommy Rettig died in his Marina del Rey home of unknown causes at the age of 54. [1]
The producers narrowed the casting down to three hopefuls, then allowed Lassie herself to make the final decision; the noble collie instantly walked over to Rettig and affectionately nuzzled the boy. [5]
After his death at the age of fifty-four of a heart attack, his memorial service in Marina del Rey, California was attended by Roger Clinton, Jr., the half-brother of then U.S. President Bill Clinton, and several other former child stars who were featured in a photo spread in The National Enquirer. [2]
With our Resume service you can add photos and build a complete resume to help you achieve the best possible presentation on the IMDb. [4]
Sources:
[1] Tommy Rettig: Information from Answers.com
[2] Tommy Rettig - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[3] The Lassie Network- Lassie’s Home on the Web!
[4] Tommy Rettig - Biography
[5] allmovie ((( Tommy Rettig > Overview )))